We are Zero
by blueRena
Summary: Songfic. Oneshot. Yamato and Koya remember their time as ZERO while trying to live apart from that name. SPOLIERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ VOLUME 4.


**I know, it's a creative title. [/sarcasm] **

**The song used is "Blue" by Birthday Massacre. Some of the lines were removed so I could work the story in more easily. Also, repeating parts were taken out. But, the lyrics that are still in the story are bold and italicized. And they're in the order they are heard in the song. **

**This story, as stated in the summary, takes place AFTER the two have left Nagisa to start a new life apart from the name ZERO. Despite this, there is a lot of rememberance throughout the story.**

**I know there are spoilers for volume 4 of the manga, but I have absolutely no idea what episode numbers for the anime. I haven't watched the anime yet. *nervous laughter* **

**Characters belong to Yun Koga, and lyrics belong to the Birthday Massacre. I only own this story using the two. XD**

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_**Plastic blue invitations in my room. **_

She let out a small sigh. She was about to open her mouth to speak when the girl next to her did so.

"Koya, I'm going to head off to my house now. I'll have my phone with me if you need anything."

"Got it, Yamato," Koya replied. She lifted a hand and brushed some of her short black hair out of her face. Yamato laughed and turned to walk in a different direction. Koya watched as Yamato walked away, then continued on her own way home.

Koya stared at the blinking clock on her radio. She'd keep it from blinking if she could figure out how to. The blinking was irritating and was beginning to keep her up at night. Finally, not able to take it much longer, Koya grabbed her phone and typed a message. She just stared at the screen for a while, not sure if she wanted to send the message or not. Before she could change her mind, she hit the send button.

A few minutes later, a reply came back.

_"Sure, I'd love to go out for dinner. But, hey, promise you won't wear those ears, 'kay? (1) I don't care about school, but if you could not wear them when we go out, it'd be nice."_ Koya smiled and held the blue, plastic-coated machinery close to her chest.

"Alright, you win this time. I won't wear the ears."

_**I've been waiting here for you.**_

Yamato sighed. It was hard, just waiting for Koya to arrive. She was the one with the car. And everything about Yamato wanted to just hurry. She hated to just wait. A small chuckle escaped. She remembered waiting for Koya once before.

_Yamato was seated on a three-legged stool, looking down to the ground. Her blonde hair ended at chin-level._

_"I'm going to introduce you to Sakagami Koya. You wait there. She'll be your fighter unit. But make no mistake... Koya doesn't belong to you. You belong to Koya, alright!?_

_"I arranged for Koya to have foster parents. She's not like you, got it? Answer me!"_

_"Yes. Nagisa-sensei, I have a question." Yamato waited for her to ask what the question was. "Sensei, why do you hate me so much?"_

_"I don't hate _you. _I hate all sacrifices."_

_"So that means you like fighters?"_

_"That's right. What of it?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Now, Yamato. Say hello to Koya." Yamato turned to see a girl walk into the room. Her dark hair hung down past her shoulders. Yamato couldn't tell exactly how long it was from the angle she sat at. The girl was dressed in a school uniform with a coat over it. She had a stern gaze, and it seemed magnified by the way the light shone off her glasses._

_"Hiya!" The other girl, Koya, said nothing. "I'm Nakano Yamato. I've been waiting for you."_

_"Waiting...? But I came right on time." (2)_

_**Reservations made for two.**_

"Table for Miss Sakagami and Miss Nakano?" Koya nodded to the server. The two were lead farther back in the restaurant. A small booth next to a window was open. It was were they took their seats.

"What would you like to drink?"

"Iced tea."

"Uh... Coffee?" Yamato smiled politely. The waiter gave a small nod and walked off to prepare the drinks and let the two decide on their choice of food.

"Reservations, huh?" Yamato grinned. "And you didn't wear your ears. How nice of you."

"I had to make sure my parents weren't around when I left." Yamato frowned slightly.

"Sorry," she sighed. Koya shook her head; there was no need for Yamato to be saying sorry.

"This steak looks good," Koya muttered. Yamato smiled again, agreeing. The server came back with the drinks and took two orders of the steak back to the chef.

_**Sunlight fading.**_

"It's getting late. Let's just take the rest as left-overs." Yamato agreed, raising her hand in the air to catch the attention of one of the waiters running about the area. Finally one made their way over and asked what they'd like.

"Could we get two boxes? And bring the check as quickly as you can, please?"

"Of course." The waiter disappeared, fetching the requested items.

"You worried about walking into the house?"

"No. It's about time they knew anyway. If they catch me, they catch me. I would prefer for them not to, though." Yamato laughed, taking of her jacket. She handed it over the table to Koya.

"Wear the hood on it when you go inside. I still don't understand why your coats never have hoods on them," Yamato smiled. Koya nodded. She knew that there was pink coming to her face.

"Here you ladies are," the waiter stated simply, setting the boxes and check on the table. Koya and Yamato both pulled out the few dollars they'd stuffed into their pockets for payment. They had more than enough to pay for the bill, but they didn't care about getting their change.

Once the food was packed away, both stood and left.

"They'll like that tip, won't they?"

"Of course." Yamato threw an arm around Koya's shoulders and walked like that until they reached the car.

"I didn't realize it was so dark," Koya mumbled.

"Your parent's won't be mad, you know. They never are."

"But I have homework." Yamato giggled.

_**You supply the rumors, I'll provide the wrath.**_

"Koya, I think someone started a rumor about you."

"Possibly. What kind of rumor?" Yamato held her breath for a second.

"That you wear fake ears," Yamato grumbled. Koya's facial expressions didn't change. It was as if she was expecting this. Maybe she was.

"Well, I do. Not that I want my peers knowing. A rumor is a rumor. They shouldn't be sticking their noses in other people's business."

Yamato didn't know what to say back to that; it was clear that Koya was angered by this. And Yamato wasn't sure if she liked being the one to have told Koya of the rumor or not.

"I'm not mad at you," Koya said at a moment's length. She held out her hand to Yamato. Yamato took it, pulling Koya closer to herself.

"We did say we'd start over. Maybe this is a step in starting over, Koya. Maybe it's time to stop wearing those ears."

_**Romance is breaking every heart in two**_

Koya sighed. _Starting over._ They had said that. With that thought, she remembered a moment before 'starting over.'

_The sink was running. Koya was hunched over the sink, holding the sides of it. _

Revolting. What should I do? I can't control this sickness.

_"Koya? She's not available right now..." Yamato was on the phone outside the bathroom. Koya listened to the conversation through the door. Yamato was telling Nagisa-sensei that Koya was sick; her reasoning was that Koya was pregnant with Yamato's child. Koya opened the door to see Yamato had just hung up._

_"... They say... that you can get pregnant just by kissing," Koya said, holding a cloth up to her mouth, wiping away anything that may have been on her face._

_"Either science has gone topsy-turvy, or it's just stress," Yamato answered. "What are you so afraid of... that's making you ill?"_

It's the fear... of loosing you. _Nagisa-sensei's words echoed through Koya's mind. "I'll just prepare a new one for you. A useless Sacrifice will be replaced, understand!?"_

I'm afraid._ Tears started welling in Koya's eyes. _Nagisa-sensei says such things, just like that. Is she serious...?I can't stand this. To have my Sacrifice replaced. To be seperated from Yamato...

_"Be strong. Be strong. Just think... be strong. If only you could... then you -- your everything -- could be mine. All of you will be mine!" (3)_

_**Fate changes faster than the death of light**_

Yamato sighed, a hand resting lightly on her chest. She used to have a mark of a zero with a circle running through it on one breast. But, it had disappeared. She had been upset when it disappeared, but now she was glad that it had. Because that name wasn't all that Koya and herself were. When that symbol faded away, Yamato had been able to feel things.

Emotions were something both Zero members had always known. Though, there was a sort of detachment, as what they couldn't feel was physical pain. They didn't know the feel of different temperatures. Of course the temperature could take tolls on their body; but they wouldn't feel it.

Now they could. It truly was like being reborn. A whole new array of senses had opened up to the duo.

And it was all because fate had changed.

_Koya stood staring intently at the older man; Soubi. It was their mission, Koya and Yamato, to crush this Soubi. Soubi attacked once more; another spell. Yamato gasped, and Soubi's Sacrifice reacted._

_"Stop it, Soubi! That's too much!" The young boy, Ritsuka, turned his attention to Yamato. "Hey, you! You're hurting, aren't you?! When the coffee splashed you, it burned, didn't it? You can feel pain, right?"_

_Koya felt shocked. Could Yamato really be feeling pain? She turned to look at Yamato._

_"Koya, don't let him fool you! This doesn't hurt at all."_

_"Yamato!" Koya grabbed one of Yamato's wrists._

_"I'm telling you it doesn't hurt!" Koya pulled Yamato close._

_"Show me your name!" Koya's eyes widened in shock. "Your name... is gone. Why?"_

_"I don't know," Yamato answered, looking defeatedly down to the ground._

_"Since when? Why?! Yamato!"_

_"I don't know! I'd like to know too!" Yamato hugged Koya, tears streaming down her face. "Why only me? I'd rather die than be a burden." _

_Soubi stood over the two girls; both were seated on the grassy earth. "Are you forfeiting the battle?"_

_"We can't continue," Koya answered._

_"Then,"_

_"Okay! It's over!" Ritsuka exclaimed. Soubi grabbed the boy and held him in place. "If you don't have the will to fight, it's over!"_

_"Ritsuka, say 'It's closed' ..."_

_"It's closed! Enough!"_

_"When staring this, you can't stop in the middle of it. Forfeiting a battle is worse than losing it."_

_"I don't know what you're talking about! You shouldn't fight if you can get away with not fighting!" Ritsuka was arguing. Koya and Yamato were simply waiting for their fate to be determined. (4)_

_**Reflections cutting every face in two**_

_"Ritsuka!" Soubi exclaimed._

_"You're mistaken! When the opponent quits, you can quit!" Ritsuka argued._

_"That's called careless. You can't quit - you have to settle it."_

_"Why are you so thick-headed? Alright, fine. Are you going to obey me or not? Which is it?"_

_"If you forfeit, then you can never again wage battle with us. Nor with anyone else."_

It's over. It's completely over. It's the end. I can no longer be with Koya. I wish everything would end, not just me.

_"It means the death of you as a Fighter Unit," Soubi continued, "Do you accept those terms?" Yamato was shocked by that._

_"Yes," Koya answered. _

_"Then... I have no business with you. I have nothing to do with you. And I have no interest in you. It's truly over." With that, Soubi and Ritsuka left._

_"Koya, I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything about losing my name."_

_"Without your name, you're no longer a Zero, are you, Yamato?" Koya kissed Yamato's forehead. "Even if you're not a Zero, do you still love me? Will you die with me?"_

_"...Yes," Yamato answered, tears falling once again, "If that's what you want, Koya."_

_"This is the first time I've seen you cry, Yamato. Let's die together." Koya reached into her pocket and pulled out a razor blade. "I always thought about dying... Living just felt like a chore. But dying isn't simple or easy._

_"But if I could die with you, Yamato... I wouldn't be afraid."_

_"I don't want to die," Yamato said. "I love you when you're alive, Koya. I love you moving around, so warm. To see you crying, laughing. Koya... _

_"But I'm so tired... If we can't be together in life, then I'd rather die." Koya hugged Yamato close to her._

Yamato. I love you.

_"Let's die together."_

_"Okay."_

_"Yamato, I love you." _I love you more than anyone. _"From the moment I met you, I loved you so much. Knowing that you were my Sacrifice, that you would be my destiny... I was so happy!" _I love Yamato more than anybody.

_"Me too."_

Yes, even more than my pitiful self... _Koya let the razor blade fall to the ground. _...I adore her.

_"Now then," Koya said, reaching into her other pocket. "It's the first time for me too, so I'm shaking a bit." Her hand gripped tighter around the phone she'd pulled out of her pocket. "Let's begin!" She broke the cell phone. Yamato looked up at Koya, shocked._

_"I'll always protect you. Let us be reborn!" Koya took Yamato's cell phone and punched in a familiar number._

_"Koya, what is it? You won, of course? ... What? What is it?"_

_"Nagisa-sensei. Good-bye."_

_"Huh? What are you... Hey, you two!!"_

_"Sensei, I'm sorry. I'm giving back your cell phone."_

_"Koya!"_

_"From now on, we're going to live."_

_"Yamato, wait!"_

_"We're going to be just plain, ordinary Yamato. And plain, ordinary Koya. Your Zeros... have died. Good-bye!!" With that, Koya ended the call. _

_"Wow. ...My hands are shaking."_

_"I'm shaking too," Yamato commented. "I've never disobeyed Nagisa-sensei." Yamato kissed Koya lightly. "Kindly look after me, Koya?"_

_"Of course. Likewise."_

If we have a bond stronger than our names... now it shall be tested.

_"If we died tonight, does that mean we were also reborn tonight?"_

_"I don't understand a word your saying, Koya, my dear." (5)_

"You know, Koya dear, I think we _were_ reborn that night," Yamato said lightly to herself.

"What was that?" Koya asked, propping her head on her hands, looking to Yamato with a slight look of wonder.

"Nothing," Yamato smiled, sitting down on her bed beside Koya.

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_(1) -_ In the _LOVELESS_ universe, ears symbolize virginity

_(2) - _The part in italics is taken directly from _LOVELESS_ (by Yun Koga), Volume 4, Chapter 20, Pages 111 - 113.

_(3) _- The part in italics is taken directly from _LOVELESS_ (by Yun Koga), Volume 4, Chapter 18, Pages 76 - 81.

_(4) - _The part in italics is taken directly from _LOVELESS _(by Yun Koga), Volume 4, Chapter 22, Pages 139 - 143

_(5) - _That part in italics is taken directly from _LOVELESS_ (by Yun Koga), Volume 4. Chapter 22, Pages 143 -155


End file.
